Game apparatus.



P. X. KENNEDY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 9, 1912.

1,031,273. Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PIF'CFIEB *1 FOUL 00G 36 j A O a I El) E1 6 a nvmto'o -96 4? ncf$-X.K 672n8?y l v-iimwoeo F. X. KENNEDY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 9, 1912.

Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I a'noemto'o ncemgftfinnedy f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCES X. KENNEDY, OF PHILADEiLPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 9, 1912. Serial No. 682,598.

adapted tobe used in a room or hall, and

carries out asfar as possible the ordinary plays made in a game of baseball.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character which may be made in various sizes to suit different conditions, which may be readily assembled and which enables the players to exercise science and skill in batting the ball.

'With these and other objects in view, thev invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a face view of the game board. Fig. 2, is a broken view showing the board in vertical section and illustrating the position of a player and the location of push buttons to I control the lights at the bases. Fig. 3, is a view on a reduced scale in rear elevation of the board, and Fig. 4, is an enlarged view in section on the line 4.t of Fig. 2.

The improved game apparatus comprises aboard 1 made up of a plurality of sections 2 (three being shown) although the particular number is not material and may be varied.

On the outer face of the board, a baseball diamond 3 is illustrated and at first, second, third, and home bases, openings 4 are formed in the boards'and in said openings electric lights 5 are provided, and are protected by screens 6. These electric lights 5 are controlled by push buttons 7, there being two push buttons for each light, one to light the same and the other to extinguish the light.

The outer face of the board is also divided by lines 8 under the caption Foul line, while diagonal lines 9 at the upper corners of the board indicate spaces under the captions 2 Base hit and 3 Base hit respectively, while a line 10 at the center of the board at the top, separates a space under the caption Home run.

On the base line, between home plate and. first base, a line 11 is provided dividing oil' a space under thecaption Sacrifice, and on the base line between the home plate and the third base. a line 12 forms a space under the caption Bunt.

In the center of the baseball diamond, an ejector 13 is provided as will be more fully hereinafter described and this ejector is under the caption Pitcher. The space inclosed by the diamond is under the caption 1 Base hit, and the space between the foul lines and lines 9 and 10 is also under the caption 1 Base hit.

' The spaces between the foul lines, andthe lower edge of the board are foul spaces. and a ball striking these spaces are fouls. Throughout the board, openings 14 are provided through which the ball 15 is adapted to be driven, and these openings in the fair ground are under the caption Out, and in the foul ground under the caption Foul out.

The openings are located in approximately the positions which would be occupied by players, and back of the openings, downwardly projecting shields 16 are provided so as to deflect the ball downwardly.

The ejector 13 may of'course be made in various ways. The form illustrated constitutes a cylindrical-barrel 17 which has trunnions 18 which turn in a'ring 19, and the latter has trunnions 20 at right angles to the trunnions 18, and these trunnions 20 turn in the board, so that a universal joint is provided, enabling the ejector to be moved to various angles, so as to aim the ball 15 which is of a diameter to fit the barrel.

A plunger 21 is provided in the barrel, and has a stem 22 projecting through one 'end of the barrel, and having a hand hold 23 on-its free end. A coiled spring 24; normally presses the plunger forwardly to eject the.

28 in the end of the barrel,

cient friction on the ball 15 to prevent it from accidentally rolling out of the barrel while .the latter is being aimed An opening 26 is provided in the top of the barrel through which the ball may be dropped thereinto, and the plunger may be set in various ways before being discharged, a simple form being illustrated in Fig. 4.

The rod 24 is provided at opposite sides with keys 27 and they move through recesses v This enables the plunger to be pulled backwardly, and when the stem is turned so that the keys 27 do not register with the recesses 28, the plunger will be set.

After the plunger is aimed, it is simply necessary to turn the handle 23 until the keys 27 register with therecesses 28, when the plunger will shoot forwardly and eject the ball. -The batter, illustrated at 29, grasps an ordinary baseball bat 30, and when the ball is ejected, heendeavors to strike the .same with the bat, and drive the ball against board 1. I I

If the ball strikes a space marked 1 Base hit, the .umpire or the player will push the white 1 button to illuminate first base,

and these buttons will be operated in accordance with the positions of base runners,

gnfi naturally carried out in a game of base- It is to be understood that the board is of a size adapted to fit one'nd'of a room. Of

course, this size is not a restriction, but this is a preferable form because it is desirable to so make the board so that the balls cannot be driven behind the same around the edges thereof. .40

The sections of the board, on their rear faces, are provided with metal straps 31 to receive locking bars 32. These locking bars are removable to allow the board to be and locking pins 34 on'their other ends to [tightly bind the boards together.

i To hold the boards in vertical position,

' the boards 2,*at their lower ends at front and rear faces,-are provided with hinged.

. platforms 35, and these-hinged platforms I .have hinged braces 36 which are adapted to be swung up against the face of the'boards, and hold the platforms at right angles to the board, and maintain the latter in a vertical position.

. It is to be understood, of course, that the game requires at least two players, and

preferably a,third.who*acts as an umpire. One player stands back of the board, and operates the ejector, while the other one bats and then the reverse positions, and a the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do.not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a board, consisting of a plurality of separable sections normally locked together and supported in an upright position, one face of said board having lines thereon indicating a baseball field, and holes in said board through which a ball is adapted to be driven, substantially as described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board, consisting of a plurality of separable sections normally locked together .and sup ported in an upright position, one face of said board having linesthereon indicating a baseball field, holes in said board through which a ball is adapted to be driven, shields back of said. holes against which a ball is adapted to strike and be deflected downwardly, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board, consisting of a plurality of separable sections normally locked together and supported in an upright position, one face of .said board having lines thereon indicating a baseball field, holes in said board through which a ball is adapted to be driven, screened openings constituting bases, electric lights in said openings, and devices controlling the illumination of said lights, substantially as and an'ejector supported in said board and adapted to eject a ball therefrom, substantially as described.

5. A game apparatus comprising a vertically positioned board havlng a baseball field indicated on one face, openings in said board through which the ball is adapted to be driven, lines dividing the face. of said board into spaces under suitable captions,

an ejector supported in said board and adapted to eject a ball therefrom, said ejector having a universal joint inv the board constituting a barrel to receive the ball, a

spring-pressed plunger in the barrel to eject the ball, and means for holding the ball in the barrel against accidental movement, substantially as described.

- 6. A game apparatus comprising a board, one face of saidboard havinglines thereon indicating a baseball field, holes in said board through which a ball is adapted to be In testimony whereof I have signed my driven, said board comprising a plurality name to this specification in the presence of of sections, locking devices holding said. two subscribing witnesses. sections together, and hinged supports on FRANCES X. KENNEDY.

- the lower ends of said sections constructed Witnesses:

to hold the board in an upright position, R. H. KRENKEL,

substantially as described. CHARLES E. PoT'rs. 

